I wouldn't describe myself as someone who loved horses or even enjoyed the riding culture. In fact, I would say that I was a little bit scared of hors...moreI wouldn't describe myself as someone who loved horses or even enjoyed the riding culture. In fact, I would say that I was a little bit scared of horses. The thing about The Scorpio Races is that it both enthralled and terrified me in the best way possible. Let me see if I can do this book justice. It is quite possibly the most beautiful book I've read in a very long time. There aren't any paranormal creatures or demon slaying heroines, just people surviving on a tragically gorgeous island, somewhere I'd guess was in the Irish Sea, braving mythical horses so terrifying that I won't want to touch a real horse for a very long time.
The story is told between the point of views of Puck (also called Kate) and Sean, two very different characters with the same courage. Sean is a young man of quiet strength trying to achieve his dream. He doesn't just want to win the races; he wants his freedom and the right to call his horse his. Sean races to validate the innate bond and special relationship between him and his horse, while Puck races for what's left of her family. While Sean is quiet, Puck is a wild yet calculated strength determined to prove herself and win the money for her brothers. It's their slow and tantalising relationship that creates an irresistible romance that builds and builds whilst devouring up the book. There is no insta-love here.
The plot was not at all what I expected. I had pictured in my mind some sort of Hidalgo-esque race, but we don't get that. We get masterfully crafted tension. The race itself is very brief, but not disappointing. It's a finale to a story that becomes emotionally driven with action added on the side. So, once readers understand that it has action but is not based upon it, I think it will truly be appreciated as I have appreciated it.
*Audio Review*: I don't know how to describe how fantastic the audiobook was. The two narrators voices were perfect (though I swear that Sean sometimes sounded like a bored Rupert Everett), and the small amount of music was composed and performed by the author herself. It's a beautiful listening experience that only makes the book better.
This book picks up soon after the end of the first book. Shane's dad and his friends have returned to Morganville with vampire killing on their mind....moreThis book picks up soon after the end of the first book. Shane's dad and his friends have returned to Morganville with vampire killing on their mind. This isn't good for the residents of the Glass House who want to keep a low profile. Turmoil has finally come to Morganville and Claire has to do her best to protect her friends. This book is far more exciting than the first in the series Glass Houses. It's filled with more action and a heroine who has discovered her gutsy side.
As compared with the shaky Claire from the first book, this Claire has really come into her own. She's gotten herself wrapped up with the town's vampires and has some serious motivation to keep her friends safe. I really enjoyed Claire in this book, along with the other supporting characters of Michael, Eve, and Shane who seem to really provide something for the storyline now other than entertaining scenes. They become much more complex, as does Claire's romantic connection with Shane.
The book has so much more action than Glass Houses. The characters were right there in the thick of it all. I'm glad I didn't give up on this series after the first one! This book is action packed, hilarious, and teeming with some really awesome characters I could easily get attached to. I would pick up this quick read if you like creepy vampires and goths with a snarky sense of humour! Highly recommended!
*Audio Review*: The narration on this book was just so-so. I prefer the edition I listened to for Glass Houses. It doesn't add much to the experience and I'm thinking about skipping the audiobook for Midnight Alley, the third book, and just reading it instead.
Fallen was exactly what I had expected. That gorgeous cover and irresistible premise draw you in only to give you something fairly enjoyable and altog...moreFallen was exactly what I had expected. That gorgeous cover and irresistible premise draw you in only to give you something fairly enjoyable and altogether just okay. I knew it, yet I still wanted to listen to this audiobook and find out what I was missing. I was, in fact, missing a fairly predictable romance set in a fabulous setting with a storyline much darker than I expected.
I absolutely enjoyed the eerie, moss covered setting of Sword and Cross and was literally begging for more information about the angels as I read. It's just that I didn't think the things that happened in the meantime were all that exciting. Personally, I think what kept me from singing this book's praises was Luce herself. While Daniel, Cam, and the other supporting characters all had their charm, Luce didn't do it for me. I know she's had life a bit rough recently but she really needed to stop whining and assuming that Daniel was dating a girl that, for all Luce knew, Daniel had only met just two or three days prior.
I had come to grips with Luce's obsession-love before I even began this book, so the romance in this story didn't bother me. It was what it was and it wasn't too bad. I often found myself enjoying the scenes where Daniel was present and I understood what Luce saw in him. Their mysterious connection was actually very fascinating to me and it kept me wanting more. To get that, I think I'll have to pick up the other books in the series, something which I just might do.
Overall, this was a really easy book to keep up with. While the romance was predictable, the rest of the book wasn't and it definitely has some potential to keep me happy with the books to follow. I'd recommend it to somebody unafraid of insta-love (though it's with a reason) and intrigued by fallen angels. I think I may have to pick up the second book in the series to satisfy my curiosity of Lauren Kate's angel mythology.
*Audio Review:* This book was narrated by a single female reader with a pleasant voice. It was entertaining to listen to and I'd recommend the audiobook.
This book was genuinely a good surprise. While the book centres more on Grace and Sam's relationship (and their dual narratives) rather than the wolve...moreThis book was genuinely a good surprise. While the book centres more on Grace and Sam's relationship (and their dual narratives) rather than the wolves themselves, I still found this to be a charming read. The wolves of Mercy Falls aren't what I would call werewolves. They're more like people who turn into actual wolves for half the year. Whilst they are wolves, they don't have superpowers but their bite can turn other humans into wolves. It's a new take on werewolves that doesn't involve scary monsters, just people clinging to their life before they turn wolf forever.
The romance between Sam and Grace was nothing short of sweet. While Grace's parents were conveniently out of the picture for most of the book, Sam and Grace spent their cold evenings trying to keep Sam warm and human. Although there is some extremely toned down only mentioned teen sex, their romance isn't as physical as you would expect from the previous sentence. It's actually the romance that stole my heart and didn't have me focusing on some of the plot that would otherwise irritate me (like the convenient lack of parents). Because of an event that took place six years before the start of this book, Sam and Grace were already infatuated with each other and I actually believed it! While not the deepest of romances, I enjoyed it.
If you want a book that centres on romance with a side of wolves, then this book is for you. It isn't perfect, but this book has me looking forward to reading more of Maggie Stiefvater. She is obviously full of talent. This is a highly recommended read for those sappy-paranormal-romance lovers who don't mind the lack of scary werewolves in a werewolf book.
*Audio Review*: This book had really good pacing in the narratives (read by both a male and female). The female's voice was the typical high school girl voice and the male's voice was a tad boring to me. In fairness, Sam is a really serious person anyway. I'm not sure if I gained anything more by listening to it rather than reading it.
At first, this book felt just like any other insta-love paranormal romance even though it was set in Paris, a fun and different location. What I got a...moreAt first, this book felt just like any other insta-love paranormal romance even though it was set in Paris, a fun and different location. What I got as I read further, was something pleasantly surprising. Amy Plum takes the over done template of teen paranormal romance and turns it into a gem. I'm not entirely sure how she does it, but I think it definitely has something to do with her innovative, non-vampire or werewolf ideas.
Amy Plum's world of Revenants is extremely intriguing and left me wanting more. The very idea of self-sacrificing immortals is a seriously cool addition to paranormal fiction. Revenants, especially the romantic interest Vincent, are mysterious, benevolent, and kick-ass to say the least. And yes, you read correctly; there is only one romantic interest in this book. No love triangles!
The protagonist, Kate, wasn't the most unique female lead, but she did have her quirks. She doesn't back into a corner and she's really pretty nosy. This works out well when the reader wants Kate to find out more information or fight for herself and it's never out of character when she does. The side characters really add something to this book. They're funny and endearing and I just want to hug them sometimes!
Overall, this book is really great. The setting is beautiful, especially because the author knows her Parisian landmarks, and the world building is really great. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal romance. It's awesome!
*Audio Review*: Being that this book is set in Paris with numerous French characters participating in the dialogue, the narrator has to put on some cheesy French accents. At first this really did bother me. I've taken about eight years of French myself, so I cringed many times when things weren't pronounced correctly. This is hardly something that a normal person would notice, however. I just hope that I read the second book rather than listen to it.
With The Selection, I'm not even sure where to begin! It was a seriously delicious surprise topped with girly sprinkles. Yep, that must be the only wa...moreWith The Selection, I'm not even sure where to begin! It was a seriously delicious surprise topped with girly sprinkles. Yep, that must be the only way to describe it. I was instantly drawn to this book. Just look at that cover! It makes me regret not holding out for the physical book, but I couldn't pass up having a dystopian, girly, and The Bachelor-esque novel as quick as possible. The paperback is going to be released in the UK June 7 this year, but I apparently could not wait that long.
The main character, America Singer, is not high up on the caste system. Her family and caste are resigned to the artisan life of supplying society with art and music, but there's one thing her family doesn't know- she's in love with someone even lower down the caste system! When Aspen, the passionate first love of America, pushes her into participating in the Selection to win over the heir to the throne's heart, he breaks hers in the process. America is whisked off to the castle to wear fabulous dresses and endure the drama of living amongst 34 other girls competing for Prince Maxon. The drama of the girls does not disappoint, but it's the underlying drama from the rest of the kingdom that brings deeper turmoil to the castle. It's something that I hope is built upon in future books.
The plot itself is very satisfying and makes me ache for the second book. The characters, specifically America, were quite fickle at times, and frustratingly so. In fairness, if America was certain of her feelings there would not need to be further novels in this series. The two love interests could not be more different from each other. The story was written in such a way that I simply cannot chose who I want America to end up with! What was deeply lacking for me, in my opinion, was the world building. I wanted to be immersed in this future North American monarchy and learn more about the caste system. Perhaps there is more to learn in the following books, but I was deeply disappointed. There was the capacity for it to become more on par with the world building in say The Hunger Games, as there are provinces and revolts, but it simply did not go there. It didn't even try. I even wanted a bit more of The Bachelor out of this book. They described the country as rooting for certain girls in the Selection, but to be honest, I quickly forgot that it was televised since it is seldom mentioned that there are cameras present.
For what The Selection is, it's an extremely guilty pleasure. I gobbled up a good quarter of this book just making sure it had downloaded to my e-reader properly. I recommend this book to someone looking for a large serving of a girly read with very small side of dystopia! It'd be perfect for anyone hesitant to read dystopia in the past.
This book is what I would call a fun read. It's not the fastest paced book and there isn't a whole lot of action until...moreAs seen on Paperback Fantasies.
This book is what I would call a fun read. It's not the fastest paced book and there isn't a whole lot of action until the end, but it is rather enjoyable. The vampires in this book, while not amazingly original (but it's hard to do that these days), were actually rather intimidating. The more Claire got sucked into their exclusive and mysterious world of Morganville, the more I actually found them frightening. What also frightened me was the premise. Claire is a sixteen year old nerd living on a university campus. Her parents didn't want her to go far away for school, but as she's hours away from them she might as well be. She's beaten up within an inch of her life by female bullies just because no one else would stop it. That didn't make sense to me. Claire is very mature for her age and has quite a lot of lady balls for a sixteen year old. Why not just make her normal college freshman age? I didn't see the gain in her being sixteen. Maybe I'm missing something about crossing ages for wider audiences or other technical mumbo-jumbo.
Glass Houses isn't perfect. I could tell that it was the first instalment of a series, since the majority of the book was spent on character building. Claire and her roommates spent a lot of time drinking coke and eating with each other. When I look back on the book, while those moments were amusing and gave a lot of insight to Claire's new friends, there is an enormous contrast to the action parts of the book. I think, therefore, that there is a bite of a pacing issue going on. I enjoyed the characters very much and that's probably why I liked the book, but I felt like I'd be jerked to a hault sometimes.
Overall, it's a rather light read with some likeable characters and quite a bit of promise for books to come. I just thought that it was missing something. Whether that be better pacing or a slightly more believable premise, I'm not sure. I just might pick up the next book to listen to as my library has it!(less)
Gaia breaks into the walls of the Enclave in search of her parents. She learns that the society she thought was privile...moreAs seen on Paperback Fantasies.
Gaia breaks into the walls of the Enclave in search of her parents. She learns that the society she thought was privileged and perfect turns out to have its problems and they actually need the children from outside the wall. From the start, the book's summary didn't actually grab me in; I picked up this book based off of reviews from others. This book met some of the expectations I had and fell in others. I suppose I'll get to that in a minute. I just simply liked it. Nothing amazingly outstanding.
Like all dystopian books, the setting as well as the society itself has to be original. The Enclave, like many other societies, was all-seeing, practically all-knowing, and intimidating. I wasn't blown out of the water with the original idea of babies having to be given to the Enclave. I found myself annoyed with it for most of the book. In the Enclave, many of the inhabitants are having children with genetic diseases like hemophelia due to the lack of genetic diversity and they need children from outside the wall to supply stronger genes. They need Gaia to crack her parents' secret code so that they can discover the parentage of the 'advanced' children. What I don't understand is that if they've been so concerned with genetics, why didn't they keep a record in the first place? It certainly wouldn't have been difficult. I just couldn't get over this fact for the entire book!
There were redeeming qualities about this book, however. I can see why readers enjoyed it. Caragh O'Brien is a genuinely talented writer and paints a vivid world full of a few good characters. I really did like reading about Gaia. She's strong and doesn't take no for an answer but isn't afraid to still be gentle when she needs to be. I just couldn't really get past the main plot. I guess that's why the book was just okay for me. I'm not really sure I'd read the second book in this series. I'll probably have too a long queue of books to place the next book near the top. (less)
This book is a spinoff of the Vampire Academy series, so of course I had to pick up this book. I knew the main character was an enormous contrast to R...moreThis book is a spinoff of the Vampire Academy series, so of course I had to pick up this book. I knew the main character was an enormous contrast to Rose Hathaway of the VA series, so I didn't expect the same pacing or action. What I did expect was some action. Bloodlines takes a seriously interesting world of vampires and alchemists and puts it in a human high school with a baby-sitting protagonist. It wasn't what I expected at all.
I liked reading from the perspective of Sydney. She and I are alike in a lot of ways and we constantly feel responsible for things, so she didn't bother me like other readers. The other characters in the book kind of fell flat for me. Adrian was entertaining for about ten pages and the others needed explanations for why they were in a scene constantly. And a 20ish year old university student is a creepy romantic option for a 15 year old girl. Did none of the characters see that? No, they said he was a nice guy and let them date. It wasn't the natural writing of Rachille Mead I was used to. In fact, the plot, especially in the beginning needed justification on every single page. To me, it felt forced. I wanted the plot to be shown to me, not explained.
Overall, I was disappointed but I'm torn at the same time. I love the world so much I'm willing to give the second book, Golden Lily, in the Bloodlines series a chance. Just for you, Richelle Mead. And because I'm interested to see if it gets better. Other people absolutely love this book, so I feel like there's something wrong with me. I'd recommend it as a staple for Vampire Academy fans, but not as a standalone book.
I was so glad to receive a review copy from NetGalley for this book. Dragons and traditional fantasy was just what I wanted! How wrong I was in thinki...moreI was so glad to receive a review copy from NetGalley for this book. Dragons and traditional fantasy was just what I wanted! How wrong I was in thinking it would just be a typical fantasy book with dragons. This book is so much more! The world of dragons created by Rachel Hartman is pure magic. It's the brilliant world that caught me off guard. Dragons are forced into their human forms to comply with a treaty created between humans and dragons with a few interesting side effects. Dragons are cool, calculated, and virtually emotionless beings whom humans are extremely wary of. It's because of this high tension relationship between dragons and humans that makes Seraphina's secret dangerous. She has dragon blood that gives her near magic abilities of music and visions.
At first, Seraphina's visions did confuse me. She often visited her 'garden' in her head to tend to her visions and check on their subjects. This was probably the only confusing part of this book that wasn't solved for me until halfway through the book. Seraphina herself had me rooting for her from the first page. She's snarky and independent and had me behind her the whole way. Throughout the book the reader has the happy opportunity to discover more things about Seraphina and the effects of her dragon heritage, as she is no cookie-cutter heroine we know everything about in the first ten pages. I love how the characters were written. Along with Seraphina, even the supporting characters, especially Orma and Prince Lucien, are much more complicated than they first appear. There is a touch of romance, but the book nowhere near centres on it, but rather the relationships Seraphina build with the key players in the plot.
Rachel Hartman has a serious knack for world building. I really enjoyed her descriptive writing and the medieval setting, but what really gripped me was the unique world of dragons. I have read another book where dragons take human form, but they did not have such a rich history or relationship with humans as Rachel Hartman's dragons. I fear that this book may be passed by by many readers, but if you enjoy fantastic world building, dragons, and gorgeous writing then look no further!(less)
This science fiction and dystopian premise got my attention pretty quickly and I knew I had to read it, the pretty cover aside. The premise of people...moreThis science fiction and dystopian premise got my attention pretty quickly and I knew I had to read it, the pretty cover aside. The premise of people having software and programming to control them just seems perfectly creepy and intriguing. If some of the faults are overlooked, the world building is executed with some satisfaction and acceptable writing, but the characters seemed a tad hallow.
I wasn't disappointed with the world building per se, I just saw quite a few things that needed a firmer place. One of the interesting things that go along with glitchers (those who aren't controlled by the system) are there special powers. I wish this was explored more and that the protagonist knew what she was doing with them for most of the book, rather than coming on at the most convenient moment ever in the climax.
Zoe as a protagonist didn't work for me as the story moved on. I felt that she relied on the two main males in the story to progress the plot, as they always reported back to her the goings-on and she rarely took matters into her own hands. While not every story has to have a bad-ass heroine, I feel that protagonists should move the plot along rather than sit on the sidelines. That being said, I will note that there actually was quite a bit of action in the book, it just was brought to Zoe rather than her seeking it out.
Protagonists aside, Glitch turned out to be an okay read, but I didn't get into it like I wanted to. I wish I had more to say about the writing, but it wasn't anything remarkably good or bad. I'd recommend it to readers who would like to dabble in Science Fiction, but perhaps not for dedicated readers of the genre who would drive themselves mad with some of the holes in the world. This book is meant to be the first in a trilogy and I'm undecided whether I'll continue the series.(less)
I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I borrowed this audiobook from the library. I'd read some good reviews and knew it was a dy...moreI honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I borrowed this audiobook from the library. I'd read some good reviews and knew it was a dystopian book, but I had no idea how amazing this book actually is! The book summary doesn't really do the book enough justice.
I personally enjoyed having the story alternate between the views of June and Day. They are both rather similar characters set in completely different situations, and that stark contrast between privileged prodigy and wanted criminal (Robin Hood style) really added something to this story. I liked reading all sides of the spectrum. The only trouble is that sometimes, they are so similar they can be indistinguishable (this is not a problem with the audiobook as there are alternating male and female narrators). I really enjoyed it when they were together and it's when they start really working together toward a common goal that the book becomes seriously action packed.
The plot, while quicker in the end, is actually comparatively quick throughout the book. There isn't a shortness of action with illegal street fights and mastermind crimes just like in the action movies. The world building itself brings the edge of action to the book. The dystopian society, The Republic, is at war with the other half of the former United States. It's this constant strain of war that had led to this incredibly detailed militaristic country of which June was raised around and Day was raised against. I hope we learn more in the books to come.
Overall, this book was action-packed, fast, and pretty heart-felt at times. I'd recommend it to a reader interested in militaristic dystopian societies and a lot of book action. I enjoyed it, and if you don't mind multiple narrators, you will too!
*Audio Review*: I thought the two narrators, one male, one female, was really helpful (though, to be honest there isn't any other way). It was read at a good pace and I liked the female voice. The male voice was a little boring to me.
I've been putting off writing this review for too long! I needed plenty of time to digest my thoughts, but it's been long enough. Insurgent is a fabul...moreI've been putting off writing this review for too long! I needed plenty of time to digest my thoughts, but it's been long enough. Insurgent is a fabulously fast-paced and action-packed addition to the Divergent trilogy. It begins just seconds after the first book, Divergent, has ended. The blood-pumping action and vivid world building will not disappoint a single reader. There were, however, other things beyond the action and glimpses into the other factions that led me to not enjoy this book as much as the first one.
Tris is a completely different person. While I understand that the horrific and gruesome events at the end of Divergent would affect anyone, Tris has changed by the beginning of the second book. In Insurgent, she's much more impulsive and rash, and more often than not, she's lost the ability to be cool and calculated. It's her extreme death wish that causes turbulence in her relationship with Tobias (Four). He wants her to calm down and think things through and believes her insane selflessness is actually selfish. And I agree. If she had been killed, nearly all hope would be lost! But Tris doesn't think like that when she thinks everything has gone to the dogs. I am by no means implying that this character change isn't believable or written well, I just found it annoying.
The writing in this book is absolutely superb! Veronica Roth manages to weave in so much more world building than in Divergent, while upping the pace dramatically. The pacing was so quick and intense, it felt like there was a gun pointed to the reader's head. Perhaps that's also why you feel like you can't stop reading! I adored discovering new things about the other factions that we hadn't seen much of before. In Insurgent, Tris visits all of the faction compounds and the reader gets a better sense of what each one is about. Well done, there.
Overall, this book is extremely action-packed. Bullets will fly when you read this book. However, I got distracted at times by Tris not thinking like she used to and acting too impulsively. With that being said, I truly cannot wait to get my hands on the third book (whatever it may be called!). Insurgent ends with a huge bang and will leave everyone gasping for answers straight away. I recommend this book to any action junkie, especially if you like unique dystopias.
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